I've never given wheel to wheel weight ratio's any thought until now. If the left front wheels weight is 106 lbs and the right front wheels weight is 111 lbs. The back left wheels weight is 111 lbs and the back right wheel weight is 123 lbs. Does the differences in the wheels weight (5 lbs in front and 12 lbs in the back) affect the handling much. Also, would a quad with closer or same weights in the front and/or the back make the handling better.

I know that there are alot of things that effect handling. I'm just wondering how much the wheel to wheel weight ratio's affect it.

 

I guess I should have posted this under "Drivetrain, Suspension & Tires".

 

You actually should have put it under ATV RACING.

The ballast of the bike is very important to flat track and TT racing. You can loosen the bike up or make it hook harder in turns by varying the amount of weight on the tires.

For trail riding, you should have it set equal. Basically, your left front shock is a little longer, your right front shock bushings are a little more worn, your frame is slightly tweaked, etc. This is making the left front push down on the ground more than the right one which also places load on the right rear.

If you have ever seen a swaybar on a flat track bike, the purpose of it is to load and unload tires.

 

The specific wheel weights were from a stock Yamaha Raptor from ATV Sport April 2003 "Great 8 Shootout". I had noticed that none of the stock quads wheels weights were exact from one to another. The closest was the 400EX Left front- 94lb, Right front- 95lb & Left back- 106lb, Right back- 104lbs. The 400EX only had a difference of 1lb in the front and 2lb in the back. Some of the quads had differences of as much as a 9lb difference in the front (Predator) and as much as a 12lb difference in the back (Raptor). Is this one of the things that makes the 400EX handle better than other quads?

When I write "wheel weight" it is with a scale under each wheel.

 

B-u-e-l-l-e-r......B-u-e-l-l-e-r........a-n-y-o-n-e..a-n-y-o-n-e...........................B-u-e-l-l-e-r?

 

When you weighed your bike and had the scales under one tire, did you put a block under the others so the bike sit level? It can vary your readings as well as how you sit the bike down on the scales. Tire air pressure can cause it to sit unlevel and vary the reading.

 

The weights aren't from my quad. They are from an ATV Sport shootout. (With one scale under each tire at the same time.)